Catherine Carey

Catherine Carey (also Katherine ), married Knollys ( * ca 1523 † January 15, 1569 ) was an English nobleman and both a cousin and the Lady of the Bedchamber of Queen Elizabeth I. Her mother Mary Boleyn, sister of Queen Anne Boleyn, a long time was the mistress of King Henry VIII Therefore, it was often speculated that Mary's husband Sir William Carey, but the king was not even Catherine's father. Under the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary I Catherine was a convinced Protestant, with her family into exile. It was only with the accession of Elizabeth, she returned to the court and remained throughout her life a close friend of the Queen.

It is not to be confused with her niece Catherine Carey same, daughter of Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon and wife of Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham.

Life

Catherine Carey was born about 1523-1524. Your exact birth date is unknown, but their conception took place at a time when her mother Mary Boleyn had an affair with King Henry VIII. Although theoretically an illegitimate daughter of Henry could be, she was recognized by Mary Boleyn's husband Sir William Carey as his child. Not much is known about her childhood and it is uncertain whether she was older or younger than her brother Henry Carey, although it is traditionally regarded as the older one. In the Victorian literature is sometimes claimed that Catherine had accompanied her aunt Anne Boleyn in the Tower, and even on the scaffold, but there are only three years after Anne Boleyn's execution evidence that Catherine was on the farm. In November 1539 she was a Maid of Honour of the new Queen Anne of Cleves. A year later they married on 26 April Francis Knollys, a later guardian of Mary Queen of Scots.

From the 1540ern it went steadily uphill for the Careys. Parliament spoke them in 1540 the rights to the manor house where the Knollys family in Oxfordshire to 1547 Knollys was knighted. Catherine herself nursed her contact with her cousin, Princess Elizabeth, with whom she shared a close friendship from the start. She and her husband had converted to Protestantism, which is why they had to go under the reign of Queen Mary I, into exile, however. In parting, Princess Elizabeth Catherine wrote a letter to them with cor rotto: signed ( German broken heart ). Traditionally, the year 1553 is given for their flight, historians believe it also possible that they left England in the spring of 1556. Knollys himself held in the winter of 1556 in Basel and Catherine's presence in Frankfurt am Main is demonstrated for June 1557, along with five of their children.

When exactly returned to the family, is not known, but on January 3, 1559 Catherine was listed as one of the four paid ladies of the royal bedchamber. She served Elizabeth in the function of the Supreme Lady of the Bedchamber to the end of their lives and their children, among other things, Lettice Knollys, received good positions at court. The marriage of her eldest son Henry in 1565 was celebrated with a großern tournament. However, the queen seemed at times to be quite challenging, because in a letter it is, Catherine had " often cried because of rudeness ". In December 1568, finally, Catherine became seriously ill in Hampton Court Palace, so Elizabeth often sent her their "own comforting presence ." Her husband Francis Knollys was at this time as guardian of the imprisoned Mary Queen of Scots in Bolton Castle, and asked Elizabeth in vain to return home permit.

Francis Knollys wrote at this time letters to Catherine, in which he suggested that she retire from the farm and live a simple life in the country. William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley assured him that Catherine would be well taken care of, but she died on January 15, 1569, according to eyewitnesses. Mourned the loss of her cousin Elisabeth deeply so that they " neglected their own health ." She raised Catherine from a generous funeral in Westminster Abbey, for which she was spending significantly more money than for the funerals of her royal cousins ​​Frances Brandon and Margaret Douglas. On her grave is an epitaph by Thomas Newton: " In favor with our noble queen, above the common sort" - in German: "In favor of our noble Queen, about the normal level ".

Progeny

The marriage with Francis Knollys brought a total of sixteen children were born, including fifteen known by name:

• Sir Henry Knollys ( born April 12, 1541 † 1583 ) ∞ Margaret Cave ( 1549-1600 )
• Mary Knollys (* 1542)
• Lettice Knollys (1543-1634)

• William Knollys, 1st Earl of Banbury ( 1544-1632 )

• Elizabeth Knollys (* June 15, 1549, † 1605 ) ∞ Sir Thomas Leighton
• Edward Knollys (1546-1580), Member of Parliament.
• Maud Knollys (* 1548)
• Sir Robert Knollys (1550-1626), Member of Parliament, ∞ Catherine Vaughan
• Richard Knollys (1552-1596), Member of Parliament, ∞ Joan Heigham
• Sir Francis Knollys, the Younger (1553-1643), Member of Parliament, ∞ Lettice Barrett
• Sir Thomas Knollys (* 1558 ), known as army commander in the Eighty Years' War, Governor of Ostend, ∞ Odelia de Morana
• Anne Knollys (1555-1608) ∞ Thomas West, 2nd Baron De La Warr
• Catherine Knollys (* 1560, † December 30, 1632 )

• Cecily Knollys
• Dudley Knollys (* 1562)

Fictional representations

In Margaret George's fictional autobiography I, Henry VIII, Catherine Carey is an illegitimate daughter of Henry VIII It is in correspondence with Will Somers, the old court jester of the king and is due to their Protestant faith before Queen Mary's persecution of heretics fled to the continent. Will Henry sends her diary in order to protect the memory of the king before the vengeful Mary and reveals the unbelieving Catherine that she is Henry's daughter.

In Karen Harper's book The Last Boleyn Catherine is the younger daughter of Mary Boleyn, which was, however, in contrast to her brother fathered by William Carey.

In Philippa Gregory's novel The Other Boleyn Girl Catherine is also the illegitimate daughter of the king, who is here, however, recognized by her father. She and her little brother Henry grow separate from her mother and by her great-uncle Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk often used as leverage to extort Mary Boleyn. With just twelve, she comes to the court and is an eyewitness of the execution of her Aunt Anne Boleyn.

The following novel The legacy of Queen Catherine returns to the court, where she and her relatives used Catherine Howard Queen Anne of Cleves together. She tells Catherine Howard, that Anne Boleyn was innocent and that they should not trust Jane Boleyn. When the situation is worsening at court, Catherine is brought by her mother Mary back home.